We Asked 3 Chefs to Name the Best Frozen French Fries — Here’s What They Said

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Cooking for the family involves so much more than just preparing meals. Meal planning, inventory management, shopping, putting groceries away, and cleaning up from cooking are all behind-the-scenes components of this huge part of caring for children. On top of this are all the additional considerations, such as ensuring a balanced, healthy diet, finding recipes that are quick and easy to make on busy weeknights — oh, and trying to find food that your kids will actually eat!

When it comes to feeding the family, any shortcut is welcome. Having go-to dishes that the whole family loves is an integral part of handling the huge task of keeping the family fed. Reliable pre-made foods, such as frozen French fries, are part of making this happen. Who doesn’t love fries? Plus, they count as veggies, right?

To make sure that this no-brainer freezer staple (that’s equally at place at a Super Bowl Party or an ordinary Wednesday) is the best that it can be, I asked three chefs to name their favorite frozen fries. Here’s what they said:

The Best Frozen French Fries to Buy, According to Chefs1. Lamb Weston Shoestring Fries

Fernando Canales, executive chef of Fl. 2 at the Fairmont Pittsburgh, loves Lamb Weston shoestring French fries. “They are the perfect crispy companion to our signature smash burger,” shares public relations manager Christopher Ramirez. He adds that the light cut of the shoestring-style fries gives “the optimum crunch-to-potato ratio” and that they don’t overwhelm the star of the plate, the double-patty smash burger.

Fun fact: Lamb Weston is also a major supplier of McDonald’s fries. Another fun fact: You can buy these same fries at your local grocery store. For instance, Publix sells a 28-ounce bag for $6.09.

Grown In Idaho Shoestring String, Super Crispy

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2. McCain Frozen Fries

Chef Mark Slutzky, director of culinary at McCain, a leading frozen potato product brand and maker of one in every four French fries worldwide, loves McCain fries of all kinds. “I’m a big fan of the McCain Quick Cook fries,” he says, “which are great for the air fryer, although you can make them in a conventional oven as well.” He describes that “they’re super crispy and ready in as little as six minutes.” When pressed to pick his favorites, Slutzky concedes, “My favorites are the Quick Cook Waffle Fries and the Crinkle Cut Fries. Our McCain Smiles fries are also a longtime family favorite and fun to cook with.”

McCain Quick Cook Waffle Fries, 20 oz

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McCain Quick Cook Crinkle Fries, 20 oz

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McCain Smiles Mashed Potato Shapes Frozen Potatoes

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Slutzky recommends using an air fryer for making frozen French fries because it is quicker than an oven and provides more even heat. When cooking in a conventional oven, he emphasizes the importance of high heat. Preheating the oven and flipping the fries halfway through cooking are also important. He adds that frozen fries should be cooked straight from the freezer, without thawing, and that they shouldn’t overlap at all for the best results.

3. Cavendish Farms Flavor Crisp Fries

Nikita Khandheria, founder and CEO of Eria Cafe in California, shares that her restaurant uses Cavendish Farms Flavor Crisp Fries. “French fries are actually one of our signature items,” she says. Cavendish Farms Flavor Crisp Fries “stay crunchy longer and taste amazing,” adds Khandheria. Eria Cafe uses Cavendish Farms Flavor Crisp fries to make “incredible” truffle fries. But you can pick some up at your local Walmart (in Canada), which sells a 750-gram bag for $4.27.

Cavendish Farms Flavourcrisp Classic Straight Cut Fries

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